Despite the fairly dadaist stylization of most of the track titles on Holy Wave’s new album, the meaning behind i’m DADA is instead predominantly rooted in the personal lives of the ever-consistent Austin psych-rockers rather than it referencing their creative expression. Recorded in Mexico with neo-psych gurus Joo Joo Ashworth and Lorelle Meets the Obsolete’s Lorena Quintanilla and Alberto González, their sixth LP is less an artistic manifesto than it is a personal statement about making time for creative work after settling down with a family, as the band’s Kyle Hager explains.
“‘i’m DADA’ is a song about balance,” he shares. “I have two amazing children that I strive to spend all my time with. Watching and helping them grow is my life’s greatest work. It’s easy for me to feel guilty when the need to focus on myself and my creative endeavors takes over. To be a good parent, I believe one should continue to follow their passions as a form of self-care and a source of balance. In this song, I vent about the pressures of being in demand as a parent and also try to forgive myself for wanting to be more than just ‘dada.’”
All of which isn’t to say that “i’m DADA”—and i’m DADA more broadly—isn’t a compelling work of avant-garde rock music. The new cut balances a steady electronic-percussive groove against mounting levels of guitar until screeching feedback nearly swallows the track whole five minutes in. Check it out via the band’s tastefully psychedelic video below, and pre-order the record ahead of its release this Friday via Suicide Squeeze here.
